The state of staffing of the rehabilitation system in healthcare in Ukraine

Abstract

Purpose. To conduct an analysis of the current staffing of specialists in the rehabilitation system of healthcare in Ukraine. Materials and methods. Data was collected from open sources and requests for public information to relevant state institutions regarding the number of graduates of specialty 227 “Therapy and rehabilitation”, the number of practicing rehabilitation specialists and the need for specialists in health care institutions. Research methods: bibliosemantic, method of structural-logical and content analysis. Results. From 2017 to 2023, in Ukraine, 15 253 specialists received an education in specialty 227 “Therapy and rehabilitation”, 7 103 of whom have a master’s degree. At the same time, the number of working physical therapists, occupational therapists and their assistants is about 4 000 specialists, and the number of practicing physical therapists per 1 000 population is much lower than in the EU or OECD countries. The number of employed masters of specialty 227 is no more than 33%, and bachelors – no more than 20%. At the same time, the demand for specialists from healthcare institutions is not fully satisfied. Conclusions. The number of graduates of specialty 227 “Therapy and rehabilitation” significantly exceeds the number of employed specialists, but the demand for specialists in health care institutions remains unsatisfied. The number of practicing physical therapists in relation to the population in Ukraine is significantly less than in the EU or OECD countries. This requires further study of the reasons for low rates of students’ involvement in work in their specialty and the development of infrastructure for the possibility of their professional implementation.